Nursing is one of the most rewarding career paths, but the road to becoming a nurse is full of tuition bills and the stress of acquiring tens of thousands of dollars in debt. However, there are plenty of avenues you can take to help lessen this financial burden. Check out these tips and learn how to pay for nursing school through financial aid, loan forgiveness, and reimbursement programs. How to Pay for Nursing School with Financial Aid If you’re trying to figure out how to pay for nursing school, applying for financial aid is a good place to start. 1. Scholarships Scholarships are among the best forms of financial aid you can receive. Scholarships are gifted, which means they never need to be repaid. You can receive scholarships based on your grades, your related experience, your financial need. Each scholarship will list the criteria used to select the winner. While completing your scholarship application, be sure to avoid common mistakes like forgetting to proofread. 2. Grants Grants are also great forms of financial aid because, like scholarships, they don’t need to be repaid. When you fill out for FAFSA, the government will determine your eligibility for a variety of grants. You’re eligible for federal grants and state grants. Grants are given based on need, family military involvement, and your intended program of study. 3. Loans Sometimes, loans are inevitable. It’s okay to take out some loans, but make sure to do your research. Consider using federal loans which have very low interest rates. Avoid loans with high interest rates. Some private loan companies will even offer a low initial interest rate, but will jack up the rates as time goes on. These scams can lead to even more debt that you originally estimated. Get Paid to Go to Nursing School Look for opportunities to make money as you try to determine how to pay for nursing school. 1. Take Advantage of Tax Credits Credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) are great opportunities for nursing students. The AOTC can provide up to $2,500 each year to students who are within their first four years of higher education. The LLC provides up to $2,000 per tax return, and it is available for students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. 2. Get Reimbursed for...

If you are one of those people who think that applying to scholarships is a waste of time because you never win anything – this blog is for you. First of all, let’s start by pointing out that you could win. If you want to go to nursing school, some extra cash to help cover the cost can’t help, right? Don’t buy into the many myths out there about scholarships. But, ok, if we are assuming that you’re most likely not going to win any scholarships for nursing students, keep in mind that win or lose, there are benefits to applying anyway. Benefits of Applying to Scholarships for Nursing Students Opens Your Eyes The main benefit to filling out any scholarship application is that it will most likely help you open your eyes to your personal goals and desires. When you have to sit down and write a 750-word essay explaining why you want to be a nurse and how financial assistance will help you accomplish your goals, the process can really help you to see things that maybe you never took the time to think of before. The self-reflection that is required when applying for scholarships for nursing students can benefit you in the long run, whether any money comes from it or not. Experience in Essays Any nursing scholarship that requires you to write an essay is beneficial, not only for the self-reflection but because it gives you practice writing and articulating your thoughts on paper. Once you graduate from nursing school, jobs are competitive. You will spend a lot of time writing and updating your resume and cover letters for jobs, especially if you are looking for travel nursing jobs, so it’s important that you have strong writing skills. Practice Makes Perfect The more scholarships you apply to, the better your chances are of winning some money. Plus, each time you do a scholarship application, your skills will improve. Think about it like this – you don’t skip out on job interviews just because you might not get the job. You go to the interview, you get the experience of talking with people, and answering tough questions. Then, even if you don’t get the job, you learned something about how to interview better in the future. It works the same way with scholarships for nursing students...

Nursing is one of the most rewarding career paths, but the road to becoming a nurse is full of tuition bills and the stress of acquiring tens of thousands of dollars in debt. However, there are plenty of avenues you can take to help lessen this financial burden. Check out these tips and learn how to pay for nursing school through financial aid, loan forgiveness, and reimbursement programs. How to Pay for Nursing School with Financial...

If you are one of those people who think that applying to scholarships is a waste of time because you never win anything – this blog is for you. First of all, let’s start by pointing out that you could win. If you want to go to nursing school, some extra cash to help cover the cost can’t help, right? Don’t buy into the many myths out there about scholarships. But, ok, if we are assuming that you’re most likely not going to win any...

There are plenty of nursing scholarships out there, and if you want to get extra funds to pay for nursing school, you’re probably planning to buckle down and apply to as many scholarships as you possibly can. While more is typically better, it is important to remember to have a thoughtful process and be intentional in the nursing student scholarships that you apply for. Sending out a bunch of applications will be useless if you’re not...

It sounds like a simple task, right? Nursing scholarship opportunities should be filling your mailbox and arriving in your lap on a daily basis. Well, sadly this isn’t the case more often than not. In fact, it can be a little tricky to find financial aid so you can continue your career helping others. Funding your education is never easy. If you can qualify for a scholarship, however, you might be able to ease the financial burden of...

It’s clear that scholarship money is one of the single most useful forms of currency when it comes to getting an education. Still, with so many people applying to nursing schools each year, the price of an education isn’t decreasing whatsoever. With that in mind, it’s amazing how many potential scholarships are available out there in the wild, despite how few people apply for them! But, how do you know which nursing scholarships to...

You finished writing your nursing scholarship essay – you are satisfied with the content because you did a lot of research on how to write a scholarship essay that stands out. You feel confident that you found the most creative way to tell the scholarship judges why you want to be a nurse and exactly how you plan to use your nursing degree to contribute to society. Most importantly, your essay portrays to the reader the significance...